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    #1

    Alberta budget

    Hey, what can I say? I'm the money guy.

    Budget highlights:
    • $23.2 billion over three years to build health facilities, schools, and roads - includes funding for carbon capture and storage, and GreenTRIP.
    • 3.7-per-cent increase in operating spending to address population growth and inflation.
    • Priority areas of health, education, advanced education, seniors and children services account for 75 per cent of the operating increase.
    • Taxes remain lowest in Canada; tobacco tax increases and liquor markup is raised.
    • Forecast $36.4 billion in spending in 2009-10; $31.7 billion in revenue.
    • $4.7 billion deficit forecast for 2009-10; surplus forecast in 2012-13.
    • $2 billion in fiscal corrective actions to be taken in 2010 if situation does not improve beyond forecast.
    • New fiscal framework allows for transfers from Sustainability Fund to offset deficits.
    http://alberta.ca/acn/200904/2566682...5D7430706.html
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: Alberta budget

    Raising beer, liquor and cig taxes is a cheapo way to raise revenue at this point. Those taxes are already through the roof.

    All-in-all, the government's budget sucks, IMO.

    Getting rid of AHC coverage for Chiropractors? Lame. More private health thru the back door.
    No Green Trip money this year? Lame.
    No NAIT LRT money this year? Lame.

    Comment

      #3
      Re: Alberta budget

      Honest question:

      We paid down the debt to the point that we didn't have it, and one of the biggest costs in most places IS paying down the inflation on the debt.

      So how the hell are we already running a defict? Seriously?
      Last edited by PDO; 04-07-2009, 05:31 PM. Reason: Really weird typo.
      "This year, we did what we were supposed to do. We fought as a team. We fought as a team. And the fact is, we gotta go back and go to work, to make sure we finish this next time. That's all we gotta do. This right here makes us stronger. Let's understand who we are as a team. Let's understand this right here makes us stronger." - Ray Lewis, January, 2012.

      Superbowl Champs 2013.

      Comment

        #4
        Re: Alberta budget

        Originally posted by PDO View Post
        Honest question:

        We paid down the debt to the point that we didn't have it, and one of the biggest costs in most places IS paying down the inflation on the debt.

        So how the hell are we already running a depict? Seriously?
        Because of the environment in which we presently find ourselves globally and nationally, the government consciously undertook the decision to run a deficit.

        Comment

          #5
          Re: Alberta budget

          Originally posted by Swivel Hips View Post
          Because of the environment in which we presently find ourselves globally and nationally, the government consciously undertook the decision to run a deficit.
          Wouldn't it be more effective to try and break even for a few years, so that when the economy rebounds we will have a much larger budget and gains into education, healthcare, etc, can be substantial instead of paying down debt again?
          "This year, we did what we were supposed to do. We fought as a team. We fought as a team. And the fact is, we gotta go back and go to work, to make sure we finish this next time. That's all we gotta do. This right here makes us stronger. Let's understand who we are as a team. Let's understand this right here makes us stronger." - Ray Lewis, January, 2012.

          Superbowl Champs 2013.

          Comment

            #6
            Re: Alberta budget

            Originally posted by Swivel Hips View Post
            Because of the environment in which we presently find ourselves globally and nationally, the government consciously undertook the decision to run a deficit.
            I don't buy it. It certainly doesn't help, but the root cause has to be the bloated government expenditures which have done nothing but go way up during the past decade.

            Comment

              #7
              Re: Alberta budget

              Originally posted by PDO View Post
              Wouldn't it be more effective to try and break even for a few years, so that when the economy rebounds we will have a much larger budget and gains into education, healthcare, etc, can be substantial instead of paying down debt again?
              Personally, I don't particularly like the idea of running a deficit either. However, I guess the Tories figured they had to increase spending to stimulate the economy, create jobs, invest in "priority" infrastructure projects, (hospitals, schools, roads) etc.

              Also, Stelmach has recently been musing that with the low cost of capital right now, this is also an ideal time to be borrowing money and not dipping into your reserves or using your own money for a number of government-funded projects.

              Comment

                #8
                Re: Alberta budget

                I like this:

                * $560 million for child intervention and foster care, an increase of more than $24 million, or 4.5 per cent from the 2008-09 forecast. This increase will ensure that vulnerable children and families receive the services and supports they need to reach their full potential.
                * $206 million for child care, an increase of more than $9 million, or 4.7 per cent. More than 6,400 new child care spaces have been added since 2008 and the government will fulfill its commitment to add 14,000 new spaces by 2011.
                * $113 million for family support for children with disabilities, an increase of more than $6 million, or 5.9 per cent. This will support parents and caregivers in raising children with disabilities.
                I like AISH and Senior Programs going up.

                I also like what they did concerning sex changes.

                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: Alberta budget

                  BTW, not a fan of increasing tax on Liquor/Cigs again.

                  It's a tax on the poor.
                  "This year, we did what we were supposed to do. We fought as a team. We fought as a team. And the fact is, we gotta go back and go to work, to make sure we finish this next time. That's all we gotta do. This right here makes us stronger. Let's understand who we are as a team. Let's understand this right here makes us stronger." - Ray Lewis, January, 2012.

                  Superbowl Champs 2013.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Re: Alberta budget

                    Originally posted by PDO View Post
                    BTW, not a fan of increasing tax on Liquor/Cigs again.

                    It's a tax on the poor.
                    No, it's a tax on booze and cigs. It's a tax on non-essentials. Believe it or not, a human can live without cigarettes and a ton of booze. The less you use them, the less taxation affects you. The more you use them, the bigger strain you will be on the health care system.
                    When you don't know that you don't know, it's a lot different than when you do know that you don't know.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Re: Alberta budget

                      Originally posted by quake View Post
                      No, it's a tax on booze and cigs. It's a tax on non-essentials. Believe it or not, a human can live without cigarettes and a ton of booze. The less you use them, the less taxation affects you. The more you use them, the bigger strain you will be on the health care system.
                      x2

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Re: Alberta budget

                        Notice I said a ton of booze.
                        When you don't know that you don't know, it's a lot different than when you do know that you don't know.

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Re: Alberta budget

                          Nice to see a 10.2% increase in AISH. Well deserved.



                          Part of our problem is that in trying to catch up on infrastructure debt, we had to spend through the nose for too scarce of resources.

                          (But, having said that, we do have some of the best infrastructure around, relative to other provinces...although some of the City streets would cause you to disagree with me).

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Re: Alberta budget

                            DDS, where did you see no money towards the NAIT LRT? I heard that the money for that has been put aside...

                            Comment

                              #15
                              Re: Alberta budget

                              Originally posted by quake View Post
                              No, it's a tax on booze and cigs. It's a tax on non-essentials. Believe it or not, a human can live without cigarettes and a ton of booze. The less you use them, the less taxation affects you. The more you use them, the bigger strain you will be on the health care system.
                              For the record, I don't smoke, and while I certainly do drink, I'm not overly worried about it going up in price.

                              That said, I've seen enough studies that show both activities are directly related to income (is part of that the fact that young people drink and smoke more, while making less? Likely. Same with seniors, actually) to say that it's a tax on the poor.

                              Why not put a tax on high-end clothing? Movies (theatre)? Sporting events? Steak?

                              My list kind of sucks... but the fact is that if you look at the buying habits of someone making $30,000 a year and someone making $100,000 a year, the first person almost always spends a lot more (at least as a ratio) on booze/cigs than the person making $100,000 a year. Lots of reasons for it, but the fact is a tax on booze/cigs affects the lower class more than anyone, and when that's one of the only significant raises, I see a problem with it.

                              I'm not choosing it as a hill to die or anything like that, just pointing out that it's a tax on the poor.
                              "This year, we did what we were supposed to do. We fought as a team. We fought as a team. And the fact is, we gotta go back and go to work, to make sure we finish this next time. That's all we gotta do. This right here makes us stronger. Let's understand who we are as a team. Let's understand this right here makes us stronger." - Ray Lewis, January, 2012.

                              Superbowl Champs 2013.

                              Comment

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